Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home

MillQueen

Hello and happy Saturday to you all. I am having a no spend day. Well I am actually doing a fantasy shop, putting things in my grocery basket that I'd like to get when I get paid. I don't actually think groceries should be a luxury I look forward to when getting paid, but these are the times we are living in. I have loads of work to do, but first I am going to have a nap and some lunch, then maybe read a book for a bit.

MillQueen

Well I managed to burn the tortillas, but it's not too much of a waste, as it was only three out-of-date wraps that I was trying to do something useful with. I have had a nap and done a few work tasks.

Going to have another nap and do a bit of reading now. I've got a frozen pizza in the oven. This one wasn't reduced but it was cheap as I tend to get them when I see store brand ones that are about £2.

Having my weekend ritual of a cheap pizza and a nice hot drink - tonight's is decaf "bedtime tea", as last night I had a salted caramel latte and then couldn't sleep from the caffeine.

I need to bake a bag of baking potatoes tomorrow to have for work lunches and make the omelette thing that I've been planning, and then that will see me through the next couple of days. There are a few things I could do with from the shop, but I'm trying to wait as long as possible and use what I have.

Going to read a free book on BorrowBox now.

Dakota_Rose

I am a big fan of a fantasy shop. It used to be my favourite pastime on online clothes stores when I was truly broke and I would fantasise about pressing go to checkout 😂 - to be fair most of the time, just filling it up gave me the dopamine hit I needed.

Absolutely shouldn’t be needed for food shops though, I agree!

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82149757#Comment_82149757

Yes true, maybe a fantasy shop is enough to get the enjoyment of it without buying the stuff. I saw a post on social media that said a lot of people are finally earning the income they always wanted, it's just that housing, groceries and living became just as expensive by the time they got there. This describes my experience of earning a salary I've always worked towards and then being no better off than I was.

I have been reading about cheap recipes from times gone by and saw potato soup, which is just potatoes, an onion, milk and a little butter, so I plan to try that later in the week, just out of interest, as I have the ingredients. I now have tasks to do and I can choose between recycling and bins, cooking an omelette, reading a book, making a presentation or having a nap, as all will be helpful to do today.

The book/nap sound like a nice combo until I am hungry enough to start cooking.

MillQueen

The cooking and bins are now taken care of, so it's time for some free reading on Borrow Box. I have got 4 baked potatoes (to have with cottage cheese tomorrow, then with tuna mayo on Tuesday), and I have made a spanish style vegetable omelette for tomorrow's tea. I have no idea if that's really how you make a spanish omelette, but I used frozen veg - onions, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, spinach, with a tin of borlotti beans and 6 eggs beaten with milk, herbs and spices. I'm going to take some overnight oats with frozen cherries to work as well, so I am not tempted to buy snacks and I am still eating my daily weetabix. I'll have to make something else Tuesday night, either spag bol, pasta bake, or veggie chilli. I think I'll try the potato soup idea once I've run out of other food, as I have a couple of packs of baking potatoes left.

Feels like I'm really focusing on food, as minimising groceries and not making any unnecessary daily expenditure is the only leeway there is currently, as everything aside from that is bills, debts and petrol. There won't be much opportunity to work at home for a while, so I am not taking any other car trips.

in_need_of_direction

I love a boiled potato dropped into hm veg soup. It’s cheap and filling

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82150376#Comment_82150376

Boiled potatoes do in fact improve everything don't they. When I was young and poor as a uni student, I used to have a boiled potato butty, with a cheap white roll, salt, pepper and ketchup. It's so nice!

MillQueen

I now have an unpleasant work task to do and I am allowing myself 2 hours so I can get an early night.

Update: I have done it - it took 3 hours, but it's over. One less horrible task left!

MillQueen

After all of my efforts, I actually forgot to bring my lunch today and had to buy some. I paid £3.50 for a firecracker chicken microwave pot. It wasn't great, but that's not end of the world expenditure. Haven't felt much like eating anyway, as we are going through a bit of an uncertain time of structural shifts at work. I am working a late shift tonight, so there will be no time for tea. All of this is money saving in a way…..

MillQueen

Decided I am fed up of all my greys but a trip to the hairdresser is unaffordable, so I have bought a box dye for £8.50. A bit scared to ruin the bathroom though. Whilst there I spent £2.86 on yellow sticker items (wafer thin chicken, 2 small focacia breads, parsnips, broccoli, stir fry, pittas, 2kg of golden king potatoes), so that will mean I don't have to do a big shop when I get paid on Wednesday as these can keep me going a few more days until the weekend. If I am creative I can try to last an extra week.

Tomorrow night I'm going to have a night off and just cook something, dye my hair and have an early night. I'll have the stir fry for my tea and probably also make something that will last the following few days. I've just eaten the vegetable and borlotti bean omelette I made yesterday and it was really nice. It's quite comforting to eat things I already made in advance and to know it's nutritious and cheap.